Distance Formula Calculator
Calculate the distance between two coordinate points.
How this calculator works
How to use this calculator
1. Enter x₁ and y₁ for the first point.
2. Enter x₂ and y₂ for the second point.
3. Click Calculate Distance to find the straight-line distance between the points.
Formula used
Distance = √((x₂ − x₁)² + (y₂ − y₁)²)
The calculator finds the horizontal change and vertical change, squares both, adds them, and takes the square root.
Example calculation
Example: (1, 2) and (4, 6)
Horizontal change = 4 − 1 = 3
Vertical change = 6 − 2 = 4
Distance = √(3² + 4²)
Distance = √25
Distance = 5
What the result means
The result is the straight-line distance between two points on a two-dimensional coordinate plane. Distance is always zero or positive.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use negative coordinates?
Yes. The formula works with positive, negative, and decimal coordinates.
What happens if both points are the same?
The distance is 0.
Is this the same as horizontal or vertical distance?
Not necessarily. This calculates the direct straight-line distance between the two points.